Tara
by cahill161
Summary: Taking place around the Mark of Athena, this story sets in the PJO universe. Every event of every character still happened and Gaea is still plotting to destroy humanity, except with ONE CHANGE, Artemis has broken her vow to stay a maiden forever, and has a young daughter named Tara. I suck hardcore to the max at summaries, but I hope you enjoy my story!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first post on ! I spent a lot of time on this story. More coming soon! ENJOY!**

**-cahill161**

Chapter 1

Up until recently, I hated my life.

If you're a mortal, then you probably think that when I say Hate my life, that I have problems with a friend, or that I don't have good grades in school, or whatever. But trust me, it was pretty bad until I found out that Artemis was my mom.

Yeah. I said Artemis. The girls-rule/hunting/wild animals/moon goddess is my mother.

My name is Tara Hayes. I'm twelve years old and I live in Camp Half-Blood. My father is Allen Hayes, a professor at Stony Brook University. We used to live in Oregon, but we had to leave for certain monstrous reasons. This is my home, and this is my story.

My dad was driving me home from middle school. Overall, I had a pretty bad day. I flunked my test, got stuck in Dean Maxson's locker, (long story) punched a teacher, (longer story) and got a softball in the face. (painful story) Even worse, my dad knew about it, and I was pretty sure he was about to give me that talk about the stuff you did bad that parents seemed so skilled at. Instead, he was silent.

"Well?" I asked.

He looked at me in the mirror. "Well what?"

"Aren't you going to give me the talk?" I said. "You know, "Young lady, I'm very disappointed in you. You've really let me down, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera?"

For a moment, a look of anger flashed in his eyes. Then he just sighed and looked away.

"I'm tired, Tara."

"Really? You slept 'till ten. How could you be tire-"

"Not like that!" he snapped. "I'm tired of you getting in trouble so much. Remember last week? I had to go to an hour-long Parent-Teacher-Principal Conference because you threw an orange at Kenny Newfield! I only just kept you from getting expelled! Is it really too much to ask for you to have a quiet school day for once in your life?!"

I was shocked. Allen Hayes, my father, the most levelheaded person I know, just lost his temper at me. It was the first and last, thank the gods. But it was still bizarre.

Dad spoke again, this time with a soft and quiet voice.

"I'm sorry, Tara. I'm tired. Physically." I rolled my eyes at that, but I let him keep talking. "I had a long day. But don't worry. The move is in a week. You'll have fun in Manhattan.

"Yeah," I replied.

The truth? No, actually. I loved the outdoors. I loved the wide open space, the huge green pine trees, and the smell of grass freshly rained on. That's what makes up Oregon, you know? It seemed New York was the exact opposite of those things. And just to make matters worse, my birthday was in three days, right after we get to Manhattan. I would not enjoy myself. But what made me hopeful, was that Dad had always told me that I had a special place that we would go to for my thirteenth birthday. Maybe I was just clinging on whatever hope that the East Coast wouldn't be completely terrible. Maybe I was actually excited. Whatever I felt, it couldn't have prepared me for what this secret place actually was.

I lay in my bed at 10:47 PM, just thinking. Whenever I had a bad day, (I had a lot of those) I think about things. It always calmed me down. That night, it was about my mother.

Whenever I asked dad about her, he gets a faraway look in his eyes. He would always say that her name was Diana, that she had bright silvery hair that seemingly glowed in moonlight, was quick and intelligent, like a fox, had a regal and serious atmosphere around her, but also was kind and compassionate. Dad always told me that she left when I was one year old, but he also said that I would see her again someday. When I was six, I heard dad's description of her for the first time. It made me think that she was a fairy queen and that when the time was right, she would pick me up and take my father and me to her castle and happily ever after. I read a lot of fairy tales when I was six.

I used to ask dad, "Why can't we be normal? Why do can't I have a mommy?" No matter what, he would reply, "I don't know, but I doubt that we can ever be completely normal." It got really annoying. But still, he was right. We would never be normal. And eventually, I drifted off to a not-so-dreamless sleep.

That night, I had my first demigod dream.

The thing about dreams for us, they're never just dreams. They're either a glimpse of what's yet to come, usually bad, a hallucination-type nightmare that's seems chillingly real, or a subconscious chat with a friend, ally, or godly parent, or whatever. This time, it was a mix of all of them. I was suddenly inside a huge, creepy-looking cave facing monsters, six telekhines, I think, alongside a boy and girl my age. The boy had short brown hair and a splash of freckles across the bridge of his nose. The girl had blond hair tied back in a ponytail with uneven black streaks, as if someone had smeared charcoal on parts of her hair. I had a hatchet in each hand and a silvery bow and quiver filled with arrows slung on my back. The other two kids had swords and shields. Everything was made of a strange dull yelllowish material, save the bow and arrows. Valuable deadly weapons? I don't know.

A telekhine took a swing at me with its spear. I caught the spear at the hilt with one of my hatchets and dragged it to the left, unbalancing the telekhine and causing it to fall over. While it was down, I threw one of my hatchets into its gut. I winced, sure that it was going to cause blood and organs and other icky stuff to spill out but instead, it just dissolved into a neat pile of shiny golden sand. At the same time, another telekhine charged at me. I tried to warn myself, (Look out, um, me!) but it kamikazed directly into my spine.

"Tara!" the girl cried. She grabbed a little knife from her belt and threw it at the monster. It hit him directly in the eye and he dissolved into beach matter. The two kids ran up to me. I could almost feel the impact on my back.

The scene shifted.

I saw a dark haired girl sitting in an apartment around a table. Next to her was a thin, scarecrow-like kid with pale blond hair and two other kids. One of them had a red stain ringed around his mouth. A tie-dye accident? Maybe fruit punch gone overboard? They had a map of Long Island on the table with a little area circled on it. A pure gold knife was stabbed in the center of the circle. Literally. Pure gold. The blade looked like genuine 18 carat. There were notes every here and there like, Take this highway. Naval Assault? (this was x'ed out) and Over the hill! Donut crumbs were scattered on the map. I felt a sense of heightened caution and anxiety. This place was hostile. I didn't belong here.

The scene shifted again.

I sat cross-legged in a large tent. Silky rugs and cushions decorated the floor. Right in the center, a brazier made of gold crackled and popped comfortably with, strangely, zero smoke effect. Atop a polished oak display stand, rested a huge bow shaped like gazelle horns. Lots of animal pelts decorated the tent walls, from tiger to hare and everything in between. But what really drew my attention was the woman sitting in front of me. She had beautiful silvery hair, striking eyes, and had a certain air about her. Sort of a mix between feminine noble and feminine intimidating. I didn't recognize her, but I know that description. I couldn't believe it.

I've finally met my mother. I sat before Diana.

"Hello Tara. It's been a long time," she said. Her voice was warm and comforting. It made me temporarily forget my troubles.

"Mom." My voice was shaky. "I-"

"Wait." She held up her hand to stop me. "First, please listen to me." She took a deep breath.

"Millenia ago, I took an oath. I swore that I would never become smitten or become attracted with a boy. I lived through that oath for thousands of years. Through my first arrow to the downfall of Sparta, I have never fell for a boy. Until I met Allen Hayes."

She shook her head in admiration. "That man is remarkable. We-how do you say it-went out for a couple of weeks until I had to go. I had to meet an amusing male named Perseus Jackson after you were born. I'm so sorry I left, but you will have an important role in the exchange."

"The exchange?" I said. "What the heck is the exchange? Diana, you show up out of nowhere and tell me about my dad and something I don't even know! I guess you being human, you didn't even guess that I would have some questions. Is that it?!"

Artemis smiled. "I am not Diana. Nor am I human. I am Artemis. Goddess of the moon, the hunt, and wild animals."

I was stunned, Not because my dad changed her name, (I guess Diana is a more believable name than Artemis) but because my mother was a freaking goddess. I didn't drop to my knees in prayer or anything like that, I said something like, "Um, okay."

Artemis looked amused. "Are you surprised?"

My shock turned into annoyance. "Um, yeah! Would you be surprised if you found out that your mother is an all-powerful goddess?! I think you would!" About then, I remembered something from history class. About Zeus and Leggo, no Leto being the godly parents of Artemis. "That is, if you were a mortal all your life and you found out that your mother was an all-powerful goddess."

Artemis smiled again. "Nice save. Look, I sense that you have many questions. I can't answer many of them, but I'll answer one."

One question? Whatever! "Fine. What is the exchange?"

Artemis' smile melted. "I'll give you this, it's a very dangerous gamble. If it doesn't work, the gods will fade and your world will crumble."

Her head jerked to the side. I heard the howl of a wolf, then sounds of combat erupted.

"My camp is under attack! I must go and defend my hunters. We shall talk again, Tara, but remember," she reached out to stroke my cheek, and suddenly I felt like a little kid again, "I will always love you. No matter what."

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers! This is chapter 2 of Tara. I'd like to thank Son of Hyperion for commenting my story! You're awesome, man! Review what you think of the story. Suggestions, criticisms, everything is appreciated!**

Chapter 2

I woke up sweaty and panting. I quickly sat up to wipe the moisture off my brow and gather my thoughts. Sunlight was streaming through my window. Odd, because when I usually have dreams, I wake up at night. But then again, this wasn't much of a regular dream scenario. What had happened last night?

Mom had visited me, that much I knew. But what about the other stuff? The apartment, the cave. The cave. That was eerie. What did it all mean? It was hard to believe that the girl that was rammed in the back was me. Where did I learn to fight like that? What's going on with my life?

My dad always said that if you face a dilemma that you can't solve, keep facing it until it blinks. It's metaphorical of course, but it still wasn't bad advice. But for this?

I shook my head. No, I needed to stop thinking about it. I looked at my clock on my bedside table. It read 8:39. I frowned. Today was a school day. Why didn't my alarm clock go off? Today was a school day.

"Oh, god," I muttered. I shot out of bed and did a mini-marathon of fifteen feet across my room to my closet. Four and a half seconds later, I was dressed up in faded jeans and plain black-and-white striped t-shirt and was halfway to the kitchen. When I sprinted into the dining room, I saw dad in his full clothes chugging his mug of coffee and stopping every two seconds to fan off his mouth.

"Tara! Good, you're up. I was just about to wake you. Listen, change of plans. We're leaving for New York today. You need to pack your bags."

I stared at him. Today? I thought he was joking, that this was all some sick prank. But it became clear to me that he wasn't messing with me.

"Today?" I croaked. Why didn't he say something? Why didn't he say that we were leaving early? I needed to make amends, say my goodbyes. But me being ADHD, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Deadlines never seem to be real until they're here for me.

"Yes. Today. You need to pack." Dad sounded irritated, but there was something else in his voice. Something that I couldn't quite comprehend.

"But dad! My friends, my school! You said we weren't going 'till next week! We can't possibly-"

"Tara!" he snapped. "This isn't a joke! We really need to leave! It's urgent. So go upstairs, get a duffel bag, and start packing!" He was angry, but there was an undertone to his voice. I realized now what the other thing in his voice was. It was fear. Deep fear.

I realized that I'd better get my rump upstairs on the ASAP or else dad would get even angrier than he already was. So I lugged a suitcase upstairs to my room and tossed in my stuff.

I couldn't believe I was leaving. I was leaving behind everything I had here. I remembered trekking through the woods with my friends and climbing trees. I remembered getting up early in the weekends, going outside, and breathing in the fresh forest air. Dad would have an omelet ready when I got back. It seemed all that would disappear, the tall trees and huge boulders be replaced by towers of concrete and mountains of metal. By the time I had finished packing, my eyes were misty and I felt miserable.

~~O~~

As we walked into Portland International Airport, I felt a strange sense of nothing. For the first time today, my mind and body was completely devoid of emotion. Everything was a blur. Placing our luggage on the conveyor belt to be loaded into the airliner, stopping at a cafe to grab a last-minute double-shot espresso, standing in line for our turn at the ticket booth, and finally cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet, sitting in seats A and B16 in the economy section.

I gazed out at the world below us. South Dakota's grassy fields stretched out below us. I could almost feel the power of nature radiating off of the earth. It's beauty and might was almost mesmerizing.

Then, the grass seemed to swirl and take shape. The end result was a woman's face. It was beautiful with a healthy amount of don't deny me or I'll feed you to the wolves harshness. High cheekbones, full lips, and a hollow smile dominated her features. But the strangest thing was, the face seemed to be asleep. Literally. Her eyes were closed and she had a dreamy look on her face.

Even though it was slumbering, the face started to speak. "Yes, hello Tara. You will make a fine pawn. The one. The loner. The only. How much strength did Artemis have to muster to talk to you last night? It is only a matter of time before she falls. Her and all her Hunters."

Now I had seen some pretty weird things before in my life. A guy with a bent-up sword fighting what looked like a giant crocodile, a really chilling version of some sort of cave, (as of last night) but the earth woman was the strangest thing I'd ever seen in my life.

"Such a powerful demigod," the earth woman continued. "You may make a valuable asset. Or a deadly threat. The seven don't know Artemis broke her oath. Yes... very valuable indeed."

"Shut up. Shut up. You aren't real," I muttered. I blinked a few times. Hard. When I opened my eyes, the woman's face was gone, dissolved into the deep green grass as if nothing had ever disturbed the endless fields of South Dakota.

~~O~~

Our house was in Long Island. After we arrived in MacArthur Airport, we unloaded our bags and hailed a taxi to the north shore of Long Island. When we arrived there, we got our bags and headed into the double-story house. It was a cozy house, with crisp, white walls and cream-colored wallpaper. Upstairs, there was two bedrooms and a bathroom. Downstairs, there was a kitchen area, a pantry, and a living room with a TV and a DVD player.

"Come on," dad said. He sounded urgent. "We need to go."

What? Already? What was up with dad lately?

"Seriously? We just got here! I haven't even unpacked!" I said.

But dad was already out the door. He walked out into the road and looked around nervously for a moment. When his brain dinged the 'All Clear' light, he whipped out his phone and dialed a number. Maybe the Taxi company? But I was wrong. Three minutes later, a white van pulled up to the driveway. I could read the printing on the side of the van, which was strange, since I was dyslexic and it usually took me some time to figure out what the actual words were. The van read Delphi Strawberry Service. Dad was talking to a buff guy with a rainbow tattoo on his huge bicep, which seemed a little out of place if you ask me. They were babbling about Camp something-or-other. A few seconds later, the buff guy and dad walked over to me.

"Tara, this is Butch," dad said.

The buff guy put his hand out and I shook it.

"He's going to take you to camp."

I looked at my father. "Camp? You never said anything about this," I said.

"This camp is the special place I told you about. It's vital that we get there immediately."

And before I knew it, I was sitting in the white van, heading towards a place called Camp Half-Blood.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! SO sorry for the long wait. I've been working on my TT fanfic, Black as Night. In recent news, Nuggets the Harpy was fired from Aeolus's fortress and was hired at CHB. Anyways, enjoy the story. Favorite, review, and read!

Chapter 3

"Camp Half-Blood is sort of a summer camp-slash-Shelter from the Storm facility, only shelter from monsters instead of abusive parents," Butch said. "We've got canoe races and capture the flag on fridays, along with pegasus riding and combat practice. Trust me, you're going to love this place."

I simply nodded.

After dad pulled that stunt on me about the last-minute summer camp, I went through a number of emotions in about ten seconds. Surprise, disbelief, anger, then a cool serving of mute.

So I was a demigod. Cool. The blood of a human and god mashed together into the delicate meat sack that is my body. Along the beaten path of our lives, monsters constantly try to rip out your throat with their teeth, gods purposely make your day miserable, and you barely survive to age eighteen. And that's if you're lucky. I didn't tell Butch who my godly parent was because dad told me not to. Something about it not being official and causing strife among the camp. I didn't really listen.

I wasn't exactly a happy camper.

Butch spoke again, "Tara, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?" I nodded. I've already been through some weird stuff already. A few questions probably wouldn't hurt. "Are you any good with weapons of any kind?" Butch continued, "Javelins, spears, shotguns?"

"I'm pretty good with a bow," I said. It was true. A couple years back, dad entered me in an archery competition just for fun. I won first place by getting all my arrows within two circles from the bullseye. The judges were astounded. I never entered in any more of those competitions because I thought it was beginner's luck. Dad thought it was too.

"Okay," Butch said. "I'm guessing that you never met your mother because your father is right here." He gestured toward dad. "Am I correct?" I nodded. "Okay then, last question. Have your dad ever told you about your mother? Appearances, personalities, anything?"

I stole a look over at dad. His face was calm and stoic, but his eyes were saying, Not now. Later.

"No," I lied. Butch looked suspicious, but he just kept driving

Butch walked us up a hill. After driving for an hour along Farm Road 3.141, (what type of farm road is that?) we stopped at the base of a big hill (Butch told me it was called Half-Blood Hill) with a huge pine tree large enough to be the christmas tree of NYC. What was weird and kind of frightening, there was a dragon, a real dragon coiled around the base of the tree. A glittery gold fleece hung from one of the branches.

"That's Thalia's Pine," Butch said. "Years ago, two demigods and a satyr were being pursued by an army of monsters. They made their way up to this hill. One of the demigods, Thalia, made her final stand there," he pointed at the pine tree. "The other demigod and the satyr made it out, but Thalia was killed. Lucky for her, Zeus, her father, took pity on her and turned her into the tree. Then, a demigod son of Hermes named Luke snuck into the camp and poisoned the tree. Ironically, Luke was one of the demigods chased by the monsters." He laughed bitterly. "Afterwards, Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares, and a satyr named Grover retrieved the Golden Fleece and brought it to here, where it healed the tree and brought back Thalia. She joined the Hunters of Artemis, which are sort of like an immortal-hardcore-girls-only huntress club. Anyways, the Fleece strengthens the magical borders around camp. The borders prevent monsters from getting in, which makes it one of the only safe havens in the world for demigods.

I nodded and trudged up Half-Blood hill. When my feet got a few steps away from the top and my head was just below the peak, Butch stopped us and turned around. He looked down at us. I'm sure he didn't mean it, but with his back to the sun and buff figure, he looked intimidating and menacing. As if he were, well, a god.

"This is where you leave, Allen. You know camp's not meant for mortals," He rumbled.

I looked back at dad, who looked sullen, maybe even depressed. He nodded, then looked at me and said, "Be safe." Then he turned around and started to walk down the hill.

Butch, satisfied, turned to the other side of the hill and called out, "Nuggets?

A fat, chicken-like thing with wings flew over the hill. It had a mashed-up face and a maid's apron.

"Nuggets, go tell Chiron that a new one has arrived. Same protocol, same everything. And no stopping for snacks!"

The thing flew away grumbling. Butch turned around towards me. "That was a harpy. They aren't very bright, but they're good for cleaning and eating. Come on. You're almost ready for your first look at camp."

**That's it! I'll try to update Tara more often. Be sure to check out my profile page to see Black as Night. I think it's coming along rather nicely. Cheers!**


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